


Come Morning Light

by wolfie_winchester



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dean and Kids, Happy Ending, M/M, Married Couple, Sam Ships It, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Wedding Fluff, Winged Castiel, only a little angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-16 03:09:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3472202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfie_winchester/pseuds/wolfie_winchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Castiel gets his grace back, Dean is surprised to learn that the angel needs to find a soulmate. Even more surprising is who the angel chooses to fulfill that role. Dean knows that he's nowhere near close to soulmate material, but Cas is dead set on this and the angel is determined to change the hunter's low opinion of himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It’s been a long time since Cas has suddenly appeared at the foot of Dean’s bed, so you can’t really blame the hunter when he wakes up one morning to see his friend watching over him and jumps a mile out of his skin. Cas’ shiny new wings, courtesy of finally getting back his grace from Metatron, allow him the powers of supposed teleportation again and Dean’s got mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it’s nice that Cas can appear when he calls like he used to. On the other hand, it means he can leave just as easily and Dean’s never liked it when Cas would disappear on him.

 

“Apologies, Dean. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Cas says when he sees Dean’s reaction.

 

“You didn’t,” Dean lies, sitting up on the bed. “Did you need something?”

 

“I have to talk to you.” Cas sits on the edge of the bed, heedless of the fact that Dean’s just woken up and is only wearing a t-shirt and boxers. The hunter sighs and rubs the sleep from his eyes. The clock says 7:30 when he glances at it and he groans, flopping back down on the mattress.

 

“Dude, it’s way too early,” he mutters, yanking the blanket back up.

 

“I’m sorry, but it’s important,” Cas insists. Dean stares up at him, wondering why it can’t wait at least another hour.

 

“Alright, fine. What is it?” he says.

 

“Well, as you know, I’m very old. And the time for me to find a soulmate is fast approaching.”

 

Dean blinks in surprise at that. A soulmate? He thought that was just some made up thing you only see happen in the movies. He can’t help chuckling a little and Cas frowns at him.

 

“Oh, you’re serious,” Dean says, sitting up again. “Okay, so you need a soulmate? What are you coming to me for? Isn’t this an angel thing?”

 

Cas looks at him like he’s the dumbest human being on the planet. Dean starts to protest that look when he realizes what it could mean. But that can’t be right. Dean’s not soulmate material. Far from it, in fact, with the ugly scar on his arm that will drive him mad one day and years worth of self-loathing stowed away in his messed up head. Dean hadn’t been lying when he’d said he was poison. Everyone he’s close to has died, at least once. Sometimes they don’t come back and it’s those deaths that weigh on him most. If there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that there’s no way Dean could ever be Cas’ anything, let alone soulmate.

 

“I know what you’re thinking. And it couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Cas says, resting a hand on Dean’s shoulder. He smiles and Dean’s long since stopped acting like it didn’t make his heart stutter in his chest. “I want you to be mine, Dean. Would you?”

 

Dean bites his lips and bunches up the blankets in his hands, thinking hard. He shouldn’t say yes. Cas doesn’t deserve someone like him. He doesn’t know what he’d be getting into if Dean said yes. The hunter knows that he wouldn’t be able to handle it if he hurt Cas somewhere down the road. What Cain told him, that he’d eventually kill those closest to him, isn’t just something he can dismiss.

 

“I’m sorry, Cas,” Dean eventually says, hating himself for the way Cas’ face falls. The angel looks like someone just murdered his puppy. He hates that he’s the one who put that look there, but it’s for the best. That’s at least what he tells his friend.

 

There’s that look again. The _I can’t believe you are this stupid_ look. Cas reaches forward and grabs Dean’s shirt, pulling him closer, their faces inches apart.

 

“You listen to me, Dean Winchester. You are not a bad person. And even if you are, which is utterly impossible, I’d rather have you, poison or not.”

 

“You...you can’t quote me to me,” Dean manages, ignoring the blush creeping onto his cheeks.

 

“I just did,” Cas retorts, laughing, his breath puffing out across Dean’s face. “I thought it was clear that I love you. It would be a great honor if you agreed to be my soulmate.”

 

“C-Cas you can’t just say stuff like that,” he stammers, heart pounding. Cas can’t be telling the truth. He has to be lying. He’s killed people and tortured souls and there’s so much blood on his hands that he fears he’ll drown in it one day. There’s nothing lovable about him.

 

“And why not? It’s the truth. I love you,” Cas says, easily as if he were discussing the weather. He places a hand on Dean’s cheek and the hunter curses himself for leaning into it like a touch-starved child. Cas smiles and moves even closer, sealing their lips together. Dean should push him away. He should stop this before it gets too far. But then Cas wraps his other arm around him and tugs him closer and Dean is lost.

 

The hunter threads his fingers into Cas’ dark hair and he kisses back for all he’s worth, however much that may be. Cas hums happily against his lips and they separate, Dean’s lips red and swollen. His face is flushed and he can’t stop smiling.

 

“So? What do you say?” Cas asks breathlessly.

 

“Well, I can’t guarantee you won’t regret it on down the road, but I guess....yeah,” Dean replies, leaning his forehead against Cas’.

 

“I won’t regret it. Ever,” Cas tells him, smiling and taking Dean’s hands in his own, weaving their fingers together. He squeezes Dean’s hands before he lets go. “Now get dressed. We’re leaving soon.”

 

“Wait, leaving? Where are we going?” Dean asks, heading to his dresser anyway and pulling out a set of clothes.

 

“To Heaven,” Castiel replies, as though it’s obvious. “A ceremony is held and a ritual is to be performed.”

 

“Is this...is this an angelic equivalent of a wedding?” Dean asks hesitantly.

 

“No,” Cas answers and Dean’s not sure if what he’s feeling is relief or disappointment, when suddenly the angel adds, “It’s much more important than that.”

 

“Oh. Sure, naturally.” Dean definitely does not squeak when he says that, the prospect of basically marrying Cas something he never thought would be possible.

 

“We’re not just being tied together for the duration of your human life. This will last for eternity. Even after you die and go to Heaven, we will be together,” Cas explains. He looks down at his hands, suddenly nervous. “Is that acceptable?”

 

Eternity, huh? Dean would be a liar if he said that it didn’t sound nice. Nevermind the fact that being bound to Cas will get him a one-way ticket to Heaven. He couldn’t care less about where he ends up when he dies. Heck, if things keep going the way they are, he wouldn’t be surprised if he found himself in the pit again, chained up on some other demon’s rack. Although, given the choice, he supposes he’d choose Heaven. Most of the angels up there are dicks, but if he’s got Cas with him, he’s certain he can tolerate his friend’s crazy family.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, Cas, that’s way more than acceptable,” Dean finally decides. A decision which was definitely not influenced by the fact that he knew it would result in that radiant smile he sees far less often than he’d like.

 

Dean finishes dressing and then before he knows it, Cas has him in an embrace. He can’t see them, but he can hear the angel’s wings as they take flight. They’re in Heaven in the blink of an eye and he’ll always be disoriented whenever Cas takes him anywhere so suddenly, although perhaps this time around his dizziness has more to do with the fact that his face is inches from Cas and their chests are pressed together.

 

Hannah is present along with a few others Dean recognizes from Cas’ former army. They all smile when they see him, standing at attention like he’s still their commander. As soon as Cas tells him their purpose here, they look like a flock of confused birds, all doing that freaky head tilt thing in unison. Dean’s glad Cas has grown out of that, chuckling at the sight of the bemused angels.

 

“You wish to make a bond with a human?” asks one of them.

 

“Nevermind a human. You want to bond with Dean Winchester?” says the angel that Dean remembers calling herself Flagstaff. They didn’t exactly part on the best of terms and he knows that it’s his fault she thinks he’s a monster.

 

“It’s Castiel’s choice,” Hannah finally cuts in, silencing the murmuring of her brethren. Some of them still eye Dean warily, but the distrust runs both ways. After all, it was them who’d deserted Cas after Metatron’s little speech. Dean would never leave Cas’ side, not after all the things they’ve been through over the years. And if this bond thing goes over well, he won’t have to.

 

“Alright, so are we doing this or not?” Dean asks, drawing the angels’ attention to him. Their gazes are piercing and he tries not to squirm under the inspection of so many eyes. Cas places a hand at the small of his back and it gives him a sense of calm he hadn’t realized he needed until now. He unconsciously shifts closer to his angel, waiting for someone to say something.

 

“I'll help you,” Hannah finally says, much to the other angels’ chagrin. She turns to the group behind her, face stern. “Castiel helped us return home. Don’t you think it’s only right we give him our blessing, so to speak?” she questions them.

 

“He’s bonding with a monster!” cries one of them, earning a deadly glare from Castiel. Dean couldn’t care less what anyone thinks of him, but when faced with the truth of what he is, he can’t help feeling a little out of place here in the middle of Heaven. Cas seems to sense this, even without Dean giving voice to his thoughts, and reassures him by kissing him right in front of the whole peanut gallery. Dean’s cheeks heat and while Cas’ eyes are closed, the hunter keeps his open and can’t help but see the bewildered faces of some of his fellow angels.

 

“You are not a monster, Dean. You are my beloved. Let no one tell you otherwise,” Cas whispers when he pulls away. Dean can’t think of a response, blown away by the force of this angel’s devotion and loyalty to him.

 

With a nod, Hannah leads them away from the others. A few of them follow. Dean doesn’t know their names, but they don’t seem to be disgusted by him like the others are. They seem more fascinated, like they’re wondering what kind of human he must be to have one of their own so completely enraptured.

 

Hannah mentions something about the others bearing witness to the creation of the bond and again, Dean can’t help but draw similarities to a wedding. He wonders if he should have brought something. A ring. Maybe some flowers. What if he’s supposed to say a vow or something like that? And shouldn’t Sam be here? And he should really be wearing something nicer than jeans and a flannel shirt....

 

“Dean, calm down,” Cas tells him, smiling fondly. “I can sense your panic. Everything will be fine. All we have to do is hold hands while Hannah recites the spell.”

 

“Oh, is that all?” Dean’s voice comes out high-pitched and nervous. He smiles and it must look ridiculous because Cas laughs. His eyes twinkle and he looks happier than Dean has ever seen him. All of a sudden, this whole thing doesn’t seem so bad. Not if it puts that joyous look on his angel’s face.

 

“You laughing at me, Cas?” Dean teases. “Do I look that silly?”

 

“No. You’re just so beautiful,” Cas replies, effectively banishing any witty comeback Dean might have had. Cas brings up his hand and brushes his thumb across Dean’s cheek, eyes full of pride. “I remember rebuilding this body after I rescued you from Hell. I mended your torn skin, put every hair back in its place, restored every freckle just so. But none of that, none of it, compares to the beauty of your soul. It shone so brightly. It was like the sun with its radiance, so magnificent I almost had to look away.”

 

“Cas...” Dean bites his lip, forcing down the blush threatening to rise to his face. It’s difficult, hearing these things from the angel’s lips. It’s almost impossible for him to believe. If Cas were anyone else, Dean might think he was mocking him. But Cas isn’t anyone else and here he is, almost poetic in the way he describes Dean’s soul. But of course, his insecurity rears its ugly head, telling him that there’s no way Cas can be telling the truth. Dean is not pure. His soul is not some brilliant shining thing. It’s broken. Tarnished and stained black by all the things he’s done.

 

Cas makes a wounded sound and Dean looks up to see a profound sadness on the angel’s features.

 

“It pains me to know you don’t think of yourself in the same way I do,” he says.

 

“You gotta quit peeking into my head like that,” Dean says, voice wobbly. Cas simply shakes his head and takes both of Dean’s hands in his own. He leans forward so their foreheads are touching and Dean closes his eyes, afraid of the sheer amount of love present in Cas’ gaze. He doesn’t deserve this.

 

“Fear not, love,” Cas murmurs. “When we become soulmates, I will endeavor to change your opinion of yourself.”

 

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Dean chokes out. Cas squeezes his hands hard and the hunter can just barely make out Hannah asking them if they’re ready. He feels Cas nod and then the chanting of Enochian from somewhere to his left.

 

Like a fire lit from the inside, Dean is warmer than he’s ever been. But it’s not painful, not a burning sensation. It’s the same warmth he feels when tucked in safely at home in his bed. It’s the warmth he’d thought to be long forgotten when Mary would sing him to sleep with the sound of the Beatles. It’s the pride when his dad told him with teary eyes that he was proud of him. The feeling he gets when he sees Sam, bruised and banged up, but alive and well.

 

Home. That’s what this sensation is. It feels like home.

 

Dean opens his eyes and gasps at what he sees. Castiel is glowing. His eyes shine, their blue magnified by his grace. Behind him, two great wings have unfurled and beat the air gently, the soft breeze they generate a caress against his skin. Dean turns and sees a different light. This one glows beneath his own skin, a vibrant red and gold color. He knows without asking what it is, but he can’t believe it, even with the evidence right in front of him.

 

He looks at his arm, where the Mark of Cain lies dormant for the time being. It throbs black, old angry magic swirling like smoke and trying to fissure outwards and corrupt the rest of Dean’s soul. The angel sees it too and with a muttered ‘begone’ his grace pulses like a heartbeat and floods into Dean’s body, embracing the golden light of his soul and closing around the darkness, suffocating it until it’s no more. Relief breaks over him like a wave and Dean lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

 

“Cas, it’s gone,” he breathes, eyes wide when he can no longer see the dark stain on his soul.

 

“I know,” Cas says, smiling at him. Dean’s never believed in that whole swooning thing, but that’s what he’s about to do at the sight of Cas’ dazzling grin. He grips Cas’ hands hard to keep himself upright and then, more sudden than it had started, the light fades to a dim glow until his skin returns to its normal color and Cas is no longer lit up like a holy flashlight.

 

“That was...” Dean searches for words that don’t exist. He has no idea how to describe the experience other than that it was the most amazing thing he’s ever felt.

 

“I know,” the angel says again, “I felt it too.”

 

“Your - your wings. I can still see them,” Dean says, eyeing the dark objects in question, their color a majestic raven black.

 

“Oh, yes. That’s part of our bond. Only you can see them. They’re still invisible to everyone else,” Cas explains. He lets go of Dean’s hands and the hunter misses their warmth almost immediately. He can’t take his eyes off of Cas’ beautiful wings and he wonders if they’re as soft as they look. Almost as soon as he thinks it, one of them curls around, inches from Dean’s hand.

 

“You can touch them.” It’s almost a plea, Cas’ eyes eager and his wings quivering in what Dean thinks is anticipation. The hunter reaches out, runs his hand along the top of it and watches as Cas’ eyes close and he shivers.

 

“That feels nice,” he whispers. Dean smiles and continues to pet Cas’ wing until Hannah and the others clear their throats. Dean withdraws his hand with a blush and Cas’ cheeks are tinged pink as well.

 

“We should get back,” Cas says.

 

“Sounds like a plan,” Dean replies. Cas steps closer to him and wraps his arms around the hunter. His wings spread wide and just before he leaves, he nods to his fellow angels.

 

“Thank you, Hannah,” he says.

 

“I wish you well, Castiel.”

 

He smiles and then with a beat of his giant wings, they’re back in the bunker. The clock still reads 7:30 but Dean is more awake than ever. He’s practically buzzing with energy and even the thought of going back to sleep seems ludicrous.

 

“So, what now?” Dean finally asks. “I mean, the Mark is gone. I feel great. And...and you’re my soulmate. So...what do we do?”

 

“Whatever you want,” Cas says with a shrug that makes his wings lift with him. That’s definitely going to take some getting used to. But for now, they give him a great idea. He gestures towards the bed with his hand.

 

“Lie down,” he instructs. Cas looks at him oddly, but he complies anyway, lying on his stomach and allowing his wings to relax, the feathers brushing the floor. Dean climbs onto the bed and sits next to Cas, close enough so he can reach both wings.

 

“When’s the last time someone groomed these?” Dean asks, smoothing down a ruffled patch of feathers.

 

“Mmm, I can’t remember,” Cas hums. “Keep doing that.”

 

Dean busies himself with grooming Cas’ wings. His arms start to ache after a while, but it’s well worth it to see Cas’ feathers all in good shape. Not to mention the fact that Cas melting under his touch is just about the most adorable thing he’s ever seen. He’s like a giant winged cat and if Dean didn’t know better, he’d think that the angel was purring.

 

An hour passes without him realizing and when he glances at the clock to see it’s almost nine, he decides that maybe now would be a good time to eat breakfast and wake Sam to tell him the good news. He tries not to laugh when Cas whines in disappointment and seeing as how the angel’s bones have turned to jello, Dean leaves him alone and goes to the kitchen on his own.

 

The smell of food draws Sam out of his room and Cas joins them later, looking well rested and better than he has in days. As they sit down to eat, Sam’s jaw is still hanging open, unable to believe what he’s hearing.

 

“Gone? As in _gone_ gone?” he says again, beginning to sound like a broken record.

 

“Yes, Sam. It’s gone. How many times do I have to tell you?” Dean replies, yanking up his sleeve and showing his brother his now bare forearm. “See?”

 

“Wha - a-and you said it’s because you bonded with Cas? That you’re soulmates now?”

 

“If I wanted someone to repeat everything I said, I’d have bought a parrot,” Dean quips, chuckling at the bewildered look on Sam’s face. He rolls his eyes and then turns to Cas. “Tell him, Cas. Since he clearly doesn’t believe me.”

 

“It’s true. My grace eradicated the Mark completely. It won’t be bothering him again,” Cas says, a pleased little smile on his face as he says the words. Dean reaches out and takes Cas’ hand in his, squeezing it and letting that calm wash over him again like a summer rain. Sam’s eyes dart to their joined hands, then to Dean’s arm, then back to his face. Eventually, the befuddlement changes, a huge smile growing on his face until he’s laughing like someone’s just told him the funniest joke he’s ever heard.

 

“That’s amazing. This is amazing,” he says. “You’re cured. And all it took was an act of-”

 

“Sam I swear to God if you say-”

 

“True love!”

 

Dean groans and bangs his head on the table. He can feel Castiel’s confusion, yet another thing he’s going to have to get used to, and Sam is cackling like the giant idiot he is. Nonetheless, despite his mortification, Dean manages to find his voice and laughs along with his brother. It’s nice, to laugh again and have it be genuine. There’s no mistaking the absolute relief in his voice and somehow, even more embarrassing, he finds himself choking up and suddenly, instead of laughing, he’s crying.

 

Sam’s laughter dies down, but he doesn’t freak out over Dean’s reaction. He seems to know what Dean’s feeling right now and when Castiel pulls his soulmate into a tender embrace, he picks up his plate of uneaten breakfast and leaves them alone.

 

“It’s over. It’s really over, Cas. I’m cured,” he croaks, face pressed into the crook of his angel’s neck. Cas makes soft noises and rubs Dean’s back, lips brushing the top of his head.

 

“You’re right, love. It’s over now. You’re safe with me.”

 

Safe. Such a nice word. In their hectic lives, there’s never been a moment where he’s felt safe like he does now. There’s always something waiting around the corner, waiting to ruin their peace with chaos and destruction. Even here in the bunker, a place he’s learned to love and call home, he wonders just how secure the place is. But now that he’s bonded to Cas, things have changed for the better. He’s had a lot of things promised to him. Most never work out in the end. Castiel, though, is different. The angel promises to keep him safe and for the first time in a long time, Dean can finally believe that.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean almost gets killed on a hunt. Not that surprising really, except that Cas totally freaks about his soulmate having a near death experience.

In some ways, things don’t change much. Sam, Dean, and Cas still go on hunts. They still kill monsters and demons and ghosts. Dean still feels sore at the end of the day and they don’t go more than a few cases without one of them coming close to dying again. The only difference, though it is a big one, is that Cas is there after each hunt to patch Dean up. Whenever they return to their motel room, Dean sits on the bed and lets Cas heal him with feather light kisses and a gentle brush of fingers. Cas’ grace helps his muscles to relax and by nightfall, he’s almost asleep on his feet. Each night, Cas climbs into bed with Dean and curls his wings around him, providing the warmth and safety that Dean’s starting to get accustomed to.

 

“Night Cas,” Dean mumbles into his chest. The hunter takes great comfort in the sound of Cas’ heartbeat and he throws an arm across him, trying to get as close as possible. Cas rubs his back and Dean can hear an amused huff from above him.

 

“Good night, love. Sweet dreams,” he murmurs. Dean smiles and closes his eyes. He’ll never say it out loud, but Cas calling him ‘love’ makes him happier than ever.

 

“I love you.” The words come of their own accord and Dean freezes. That was supposed to stay in his head. It’s not as though he’s lying. Far from it, in fact. But saying it out loud makes it real and the things that Dean loves often have a tendency to be taken from him. Mom and Dad, Ellen and Jo, Bobby, Kevin. Dean’s lost count of all the loved ones that he’s lost over the years. It’s like a curse and just the thought of Cas getting taken from him, of him dying again, sucks all the air out of his lungs.

 

“That won’t happen,” Cas says, reading his mind again. “I won’t let anyone take me away from you. You won’t have to be alone ever again.”

 

“You promise?” Dean asks. His voice is a lot smaller than he’d like it to be.

 

“I promise, Dean. I won’t ever leave you,” Cas says. Dean doesn’t need to see his face to know that Cas isn’t lying. He smiles and sighs happily, falling into a deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

“You know,” Sam says after Dean’s fallen asleep. “You make him really happy.”

 

The younger hunter stands in the doorway to the bathroom, drying his hair. Cas smiles and looks down at Dean, running his fingers through the dirty blond hair.

 

“He makes me happy too,” Cas says.

 

Sam moves to sit on his own bed and yanks the covers back. Just before he lies down, he smiles at the both of them.

 

“He hasn’t had anything like this in a long time. He deserves it,” he says.

 

“I know.”

 

“He doesn’t think he does. Deserve this, that is. He’s told me. He thinks that he’s not good enough to have an angel for a soulmate,” Sam says, a sad look overtaking his features.

 

“I know,” Cas says again, quieter this time. “I’m trying my hardest to change that, but...it’s difficult. There’s so much pain inside him. I wish I could just take it all away like I do with his physical injuries.” He sighs, watching Dean with an unreadable look in his eyes. “I love him so much it almost frightens me. I never knew, when I first met you both, that I could feel such things so strongly.”

 

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you do.”

 

“Yeah, me too.”

 

Sam glances at his sleeping brother, so peaceful in his slumber. He hasn’t seen him like this in so long that it’s almost surreal. He looks younger, the anger and the stress that normally plague him gone for the moment. The look in Cas’ eyes is so tender that he almost feels like he’s intruding on them. He smiles softly at them and decides to turn in for the night, content in the knowledge that Cas is there to watch over both of them.

 

* * *

 

Dean wakes up slowly, the morning light seeping in through the dusty blinds. He feels well rested and when he looks at the clock, he realizes that he actually got the recommended eight hours, rather than his normal four. He sits up and stretches, amazed at how good he feels. He blinks a few times and that’s when he notices that Cas isn’t in bed with him.

 

“Cas?” he mumbles sleepily, wondering where the angel could have gone. Some part of him thinks that maybe Cas went back to Heaven, but the angel had promised he wouldn’t leave him and Dean desperately wants to believe that. Sam is gone too and he half thinks that he slept in and missed all the fun.

 

He should be worried, but for some reason, something tells him that the other two are completely safe. He’s pretty sure that it’s because he can feel Cas’ consciousness in the back of his mind, like radio static only far less annoying. The angel seems content for now. He’s not under any stress and in fact, he seems quite pleased about something.

 

Dean decides to get dressed and clean up a bit before the other two get back and he’s halfway through polishing his gun when the sound of wings draws his attention. Cas has a hand on Sam’s shoulder and his wings are returning to their normal position when he holds out a tray of food to Dean.

 

“Where’d you go?” Dean asks, taking the food with a curious look on his face.

 

“Home,” Sam says. “We made breakfast there and decided to bring you some.”

 

“And you didn’t feel the need to wake me up?”

 

“You were fast asleep, Dean. It was kind of adorable,” Sam teases. Dean rolls his eyes and takes the offered fork before digging into his scrambled eggs.

 

“Whatever,” he mutters.

 

As soon as he’s finished with his breakfast, they head out to question one of the witnesses to the gruesome murder that had taken place a few days earlier. Dean’s pretty sure they’re dealing with a vengeful spirit, but they’ve yet to identify the stiff who’s been ganking people. With his help, Cas is a lot better at questioning people now and he leaves Cas to do that while Sam and him sweep the house and search for EMF.

 

“Anything?” Cas asks when they leave.

 

“Husband’s room lit up like Christmas,” Sam comments as they head towards the car. “Did you get any information from the wife?”

 

“She says they had a happy marriage,” Cas replies.

 

“Well, Chet’s phone says otherwise,” Dean says, pulling out the object in question. He brings up a picture of the victim with another woman. Which wouldn’t be suspicious if it weren’t for the fact that they were kissing.

 

“How’d you get into his phone? I thought it was locked,” Sam says.

 

“Hey, I’m smarter than I look.”

 

“Why does that face look familiar?” Cas mutters, taking the phone from Dean’s hand and inspecting the woman’s face.

 

“Wait, that’s the woman who committed suicide last week. She jumped off a bridge,” Sam says, leaning over Cas’ shoulder to see the picture.

 

“You know where she’s buried?” Dean asks.

 

“No, but I can find out,” Sam replies, taking out his phone and making a call.

 

Later that night, they’re in the cemetery, digging up the grave of Brenda Williams when her spirit manifests right behind Dean.

 

“Dean! Behind you!” Sam shouts.

 

The ghost grabs the older Winchester before he can react, tossing him up and out of the grave. Dean grunts as he hits the ground and scrambles for his shotgun that’s landed just out of his reach. He lets out a cry as she grabs him and yanks him away from his gun. She turns him onto his back and her hand plunges into his chest.

 

“Sam! Hurry!” he manages to shout. He can feel her cold hand closing around his heart and it beats wildly. Dean coughs once and blood leaks from his mouth. His vision is starting to go dark when all of a sudden, the ghost disappears. Cas is standing next to him, shotgun in hand.

 

“Are you alright, love?” he asks, kneeling and placing a hand over Dean’s chest, healing the damage done by the spirit. Dean nods and tries to sit up, but Cas won’t let him, insisting he lie still for the moment.

 

“Cas, watch out!” he shouts as he sees the ghost materialize behind his angel. Logically, he knows that Cas can’t get hurt by something as simple as a ghost, but his instinct to protect his soulmate takes over and his breath catches in his throat as she reaches for the angel.

 

Cas lets out an almost feral growl and whirls around to face the spirit. His wings flare up and Dean wonders if the spirit can see it too because she hesitates. Long enough for Sam to burn the corpse and watch as the ghost goes up in flames. As she dies for a second time, her scream echoing in the empty graveyard, Cas turns back to Dean and cradles him carefully in his arms.

 

“Are you okay?” he asks, stroking Dean’s cheek.

 

“I’m fine,” he replies. Cas frets over him, checking him for injuries even though he’s been completely healed. “Cas, babe, I’m fine. Hey,” he grabs Cas’ hand and laces their fingers together. “I’m okay. Stop worrying so much.”

 

“You were in pain,” Cas says in a quiet voice. “I could feel it.”

 

“Well I’m okay now. You saved me.” Dean leans up and kisses Cas, one of his hands trailing over to Cas’ wing, stroking the feathers to calm him. Cas hugs him close and Dean can feel his fear dissipate, replaced by the overwhelming love the angel holds for him.

 

“Ahem.”

 

Dean blushes as he pulls away from Cas. He’s been doing that a lot lately and he blames it all on the angel holding him. It doesn’t bother him much though. Even if it means his face turning red almost whenever in the vicinity of his angel, he’ll take it as long as it means Cas stays with him.

 

“Ready to head home, lovebirds?” Sam teases.

 

“Hell yeah,” Dean replies, attempting yet again to stand up. Cas surprises him by simply picking him up like he weighs nothing and then in the next second he’s setting him down on the bed in their motel room. “Hey, I’m not helpless,” he protests.

 

“No, but you’re human. Your bodies are so easily broken. What if I can’t get to you in time on the next hunt? What if we go up against another angel? Or a demon?”

 

“Cas, we’ve fought plenty of those and come out mostly okay. Where’s all this coming from?” Dean asks softly. He can sense Cas’ shifting emotions, going from fear to anger to sadness so fast it makes his head spin.

 

“That was before we were soulmates. I said that when you die and go to Heaven that I’d be with you. For most people, that means when your time comes and a reaper arrives to take your soul to Heaven, I go with. If you’re killed before your time, I can still follow, but it is a thousand times more painful to have your soulmate killed rather than live their full lifespan,” Cas explains. He sighs and sits down next to Dean, stroking his hair gently.

 

“That’s why...that’s why I was so aggressive with that spirit earlier. I didn’t want it to take you from me before it was time. I felt your pain and I reacted on instinct. I didn’t think. I couldn’t. All I knew was that my mate was in danger and I had to protect you. I remember being scared, wondering if...if I’d gotten to you too late.” Cas leans down and presses a kiss to Dean’s forehead, his hand cupping the hunter’s face. Dean reaches for him, wrapping his fingers around the angel’s wrist.

 

“I love you, Dean. So much so that I fear what I may do if I were to lose you.”

 

“Hey,” Dean murmurs, “Nothing’s gonna take me from you. Not if I have anything to say about it. I promise you that, okay?”

 

Cas nods and lies down, one of his wings draping over Dean protectively.

 

“Okay.”

 

Dean smiles and brushes his fingers through the soft feathers for a while before a thought occurs to him.

 

“Cas?”

 

“Yes, love?”

 

“Where’s Sam?”

 

Cas smiles up at him sheepishly and Dean predicts that he’s probably going to end up cracking up at his mate’s answer.

 

“I wanted to have this conversation privately. So, I might have left him at the graveyard. He’s perfectly fine, I assure you. I would have taken him with us if I’d thought he was in any danger. I believe he’s on his way now, although I can’t say whether or not he’s pleased with being left behind,” Cas says.

 

Dean laughs, his whole body shaking with the motion and soon, Cas starts laughing along with him. He maneuvers them so Cas is lying on top of him, his wings falling like dark curtains on either side of them and he grabs Cas’ tie and pulls him down into a tender kiss.

 

“I love you, you know that?” Dean says, smiling once they break apart. Cas grins at him, his wings beating happily and stirring up quite a small breeze, but Dean doesn’t mind. He loves being able to see how he affects the angel.

 

They’ve only been bonded a few weeks now, but Dean’s learning to read Cas’ body language. Or wing-language, rather. Even if Cas shields his emotions from him or lies and says that he’s fine, Dean can tell what he’s feeling by looking at his wings. Sometimes, he doesn’t even try and read what Cas is feeling. He just likes looking at them. They’re beautiful after all. Nothing at all like what popular lore depicts angels as, but somehow, the black wings suit him. They make him look dangerous, deadly to anyone who tries to threaten him or by extension, Dean.

 

“What, Dean?” Cas asks, like he doesn’t already know what Dean’s thinking. The jerk probably just wants to hear his hunter say it out loud.

 

“Nothing,” Dean replies, deciding that he doesn’t care if he plays right into Cas’ hand. “You’re just beautiful. That’s all.” He blushes as he says it. He’s never really called anything but Baby beautiful and really meant it. But Cas _is_ beautiful. He’s stunning, gorgeous and otherworldly and Dean still has a hard time believing that something so amazing could have chosen him as a soulmate.

 

“As are you, love,” Cas says, kissing him again. He settles back down and Dean falls asleep like that, with Cas lying half on top of him, his wings shielding his soulmate from the dangerous world they live in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments! I love all of you! I'll post the next chapter tomorrow! 
> 
> Also, just as an irrelevant funny side note, my Psychology textbook has all these little story scenarios to help us better understand the concepts and there's this one really douchey guy that everyone hates , so when I was working on the case part of this chapter, I was like, hey let's kill off that guy from my Psych book XD


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas is taken by a couple of rogue angels. He's killed when Dean goes to rescue him. Or so it seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied about posting this tomorrow. I have the whole fic done, but I kind of wanted to pace it instead of waiting too long, however I really wanted to post this next chapter and also someone wink-wink nudge-nudged me and now here we are! Hope you like it!
> 
> Note: So there's always a little angst in the Winchesters' lives, but I promise you Cas doesn't die in this. I wouldn't do that to my babies.

Dean should have known that things couldn’t stay as they were. He knew that something would happen to jeopardize one of their lives. He just didn’t expect it to be Cas’ life on the line. Dean has no idea how the angels found them. He still has the warding on his ribs that Cas carved on there forever ago and Cas still has that tattoo he’d gotten when he’d been human. Part of him wonders if it’s just their horrible luck. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is that the angels have Cas.

 

They’d been coming back from a case. It was a long drive, all the way from North Dakota and while he knows Cas could have just zapped them home, he enjoys the long road trips sometimes. Especially when things had been so peaceful. He’d been content to drive back home, chattering with Sam and Cas about random things. From the hunt to their favorite music albums to their favorite movies, they’d talked about anything and everything until he finally pulled into a motel to crash for the night.

 

In retrospect, it’s all Dean’s fault. If he hadn’t decided to take the scenic route, if he hadn’t stopped for the night, if he’d just let Cas take them home in the first place, he wouldn’t be pacing a hole into the motel room floor, going insane because someone’s taken his soulmate. Dean can tell that Cas is trying to be calm for his sake, but the hunter can still sense his angel’s fear. If he weren’t so royally pissed off, he’d probably be breaking down right about now. Sam’s tried comforting him, but it’s not doing much good.

 

“Garth’s almost here. He should have the stuff for the tracking spell,” Sam says after hanging up the phone.

 

“Damn it. This is all my fault. If I’d just let him take us home...”

 

“Dean, you couldn’t have known this would happen,” his brother tries convincing him for the hundredth time.

 

“You think that makes me feel any better?!” he snaps. “They have my angel, Sam. They’re going to hurt him. They’re going to kill him. All because he chose me as his soulmate.” Dean’s voice breaks and he collapses onto the bed, head in his hands.

 

“Hey, it’ll be okay. We’ll get him back,” Sam assures him.

 

“You can’t know that,” Dean mutters. “Why does this always happen? Every time. Everyone I love, they all get hurt. Or killed.” He sighs and tries to ignore the way his hands are shaking. “Sam, what if they kill him? What am I going to...”

 

Dean can’t even finish his sentence. He feels sick at the thought of having to live without his soulmate. Already, it feels like someone’s torn a huge hole in him. Cas isn’t in pain yet, but he knows without seeing him that he’s not in any place that’s good. The static consciousness in his head is dulled, like the angel is being restrained, or his powers have somehow been diminished.

 

A knock at the door has Dean leaping to his feet and Sam rushing to answer it. Garth walks in with a bag slung over his shoulder and starts asking questions about the weird ingredients for the spell. Dean stops him, not in the mood for the other hunter’s rambling. Despite his goofy nature, Garth seems to sense something’s seriously wrong and respectfully keeps the talking to a minimum, focusing more on getting the materials ready.

 

“He’s here,” Garth finally says after a fire has burned down the map to a small section that shows Cas’ location.

 

“Let’s go,” Dean says, heading out to the Impala immediately. He barely waits for the other two to climb in before he’s speeding out of the parking lot. _Hang on, Cas. I’m coming for you_ , he thinks. Cas perks up and Dean wonders if he heard him. It hadn’t exactly been a prayer, but given their connection he wouldn’t be all that surprised if Cas had picked up on his stray thought.

 

“So, what’s the big deal about this Cas guy? He’s an angel, right?” Garth asks from the back.

 

“He’s my soulmate,” Dean answers.

 

“Whoa, soulmate? That’s awesome. Good for you, man!”

 

“Yeah, well, not if I can’t save him,” he mutters.

 

They’re only a mile out from where he knows the angels are keeping Cas when an almost blaring alarm sounds in his mind. Cas is warning him. It’s a trap. Of course it is. Dean doesn’t care though. If he doesn’t go, then they’ll just take him back to Heaven and do God knows what to him. His only real hope would be Hannah’s loyalty to Cas and her willingness to stick up for him. Not a bad hope to have, but she’s only one angel and who knows how many still resent Cas for playing an accidental part in the fall.

 

They pull up to a creaky old factory a while later. _It’s always gotta be somewhere creepy and abandoned, doesn’t it?_ he thinks absently. He grabs a flashlight from the trunk and slides his angel blade from his jacket before he bursts into the building. It looks empty, but he can sense Cas nearby. He lets their connection lead him and the other two into another room where he sees Cas strapped to a chair. His wrists have been cuffed to it, as have his legs and neck, and etched into his bindings are Enochian sigils that he suspects are the reason for Cas’ drained power.

 

“Cas!” he shouts, sprinting towards the angel only to be thrown backwards into Sam and Garth. He struggles back to his feet and looks around for his attacker. He recognizes one of the angels. The one who’d called him a monster when he and Cas went to Heaven to create their bond. Two others stand with her and the taller one with short blond hair takes out an angel blade and moves to stand behind Cas.

 

“Not another step,” he warns, blade pressed underneath Cas’ chin.

 

Dean freezes and the brunette angel from before sneers at him.

 

“I never quite understood why Castiel would choose to make a bond with you. He’s always had a soft spot for humans, but this? This is despicable. You’re a monster, pretending to be a man and now you wish to corrupt our brother?” she says.

 

“Some sister you are,” Dean snaps. “Willing to kill him just because you don’t approve of his soulmate?”

 

“He still has a chance to be saved. But if he’s too far gone then we have no choice. I don’t want to do this, but we can’t allow you to spread your influence to others. Already, Hannah has started to grow fond of you, as have a few of Castiel’s former followers.”

 

“What can I say? I’m a likeable guy when I wanna be,” he says. She frowns and steps closer to him. She holds out a hand and Dean suddenly can’t breathe, invisible hands gripping his throat and cutting off his air.

 

“Stop!” Cas shouts, pulling at his restraints. “Don’t hurt him!”

 

“I’m doing this for you, Castiel,” the angel says, closing her hand into a fist. Dean gasps for air and Sam and Garth are at his side, propping him up and trying their best to help.

 

“Please! Please, stop this, sister! I’ll do whatever you want. Just leave him alone!” Cas pleads and even with the blood roaring in his ears and his vision starting to go dark, Dean can hear the tears in his angel’s voice. Suddenly, the iron vice on his throat is gone and Dean can breathe again. He rubs at his throat, coughing and wondering if grace-induced strangling can leave bruises.

 

He looks up to see the brunette angel staring at Cas in confused anger.

 

“I don’t understand. Why do you care so much for one human?” she asks.

 

“Because he is the best human I have ever had the privilege to know. Because his soul is the most beautiful thing in all of creation. I love him, Anthiel. Don’t you see?” Cas says, eyes wide, trying so hard to convince her. She merely eyes him in disgust before pulling out her own weapon. She gestures at her brother holding the knife to Cas’ throat and he steps away so she can get closer.

 

“You want to know what I see? I see an angel who has lost his way. I see a dog who only does what his human master bids him. You’re clearly past saving. I’m sorry, Castiel, but you leave me no choice,” she says, approaching him slowly.

 

“If you touch him, I swear I’ll kill all of you!” Dean snarls.

 

“Restrain them,” Anthiel commands. The other two angels nod and the three hunters are immobilized, unable to do more than watch as Cas stares at his sister with pity in his eyes. Dean’s heart drops into his stomach at the first sight of Cas’ grace shining through the cut in his stomach. He can feel Cas’ pain as if it were his own and he grits his teeth, trying to feed Cas some of his strength.

 

“We shouldn’t draw this out, Anthiel,” says the third angel, yet to speak until now. “Hannah will notice our absence soon.”

 

“Then buy me time. I want to see this human mate of his squirm,” she says, glaring daggers at Dean before she turns back to Cas. The third angel disappears and Dean feels a little bit less power holding him back now that the blond angel is the only one restraining all three of them. Still, it’s not enough for him to completely break free and he watches again as Anthiel yanks open Cas’ dress shirt and carves a line from his shoulder to his hip.

 

Cas cries out and Dean wants nothing more than to destroy the angel who would dare hurt his mate. But no amount of shouting, cursing, or threatening makes her stop. She just keeps cutting until blood is running freely from Cas’ wounds and the dark room is starting to fill with the blue-white light of his angel’s grace. Dean’s long since stopped trying to hold back the tears that stream down his face, more from the pain that throbs across their link than anything else.

 

The hunter’s heart threatens to break when the other angel brings the blade down on Cas’ hand and cuts right through to the other side. Cas lets out a scream, tinged with his true voice and Dean sees red, shouting and cursing at the female angel.

 

“Your human’s got quite a mouth on him, doesn’t he?” Anthiel says, blade now hovering above Cas’ other hand. She stabs him again and Cas screams again, tears leaking from his eyes as he tries in vain to get away.

 

“Stop it!” Dean cries. At this point, the anger is taking a backseat to the soul deep pain he feels at seeing his angel so cut up. “Please, please don’t hurt him anymore, I’m begging you! Anthiel, please, don’t take him away from me. I know you hate me. I know you hate what I did to Cas. Believe me, I know that I’ve corrupted him. I know. But please, don’t take it out on him. Just let him go. Please...”

 

“Sister, maybe we should -”

 

“Silence. We’ll kill Castiel and then we’ll kill his human pets. They won’t bother us anymore,” she says. She turns back to Cas and with a half hearted apology, she plunges the blade into his chest.

 

_“Cas!!”_

 

Dean feels a searing pain burn through him and he lets out an anguished cry. The last thing he sees before he passes out is the shocked look on Anthiel’s face, like she can’t fathom whatever it is she’s seeing.

* * *

 

“Dean? Hey, wake up!”

 

Dean blinks a few times and his head swims. He brings up a hand to massage his aching temples and that’s when he realizes both his hands and arms have been covered in bandages. Sam and Garth are looking down at him and that’s when it all comes crashing back. Dean shuts his eyes again and tries to keep it together, to not shatter into a million pieces like he feels like doing right now.

 

“He’s...Cas...is he?” he can’t make himself say the word and his chest feels tight, like someone’s squeezing it until the air is all gone from his lungs.

 

“Cas is fine.”

 

“Don’t lie to me, Sam,” Dean says with a wobbly voice. “Please. Just don’t.”

 

“I’m not lying. Cas is alive. You did this...weird glowy thing and blew the other angels to smithereens,” Sam says.

 

“And you healed up your angel pretty good in the process,” Garth adds.

 

Dean opens his eyes then and tries to sit up, wincing when he puts weight on his injured hands. He’s still a little fuzzy on how that happened. He doesn’t remember getting hurt, other than Anthiel almost crushing his throat. He doesn’t know what on earth the other two are talking about. The last thing he remembers is seeing a knife plunge into his angel’s heart. Yet somehow, the other two are convinced that Cas is alive.

 

“Where?” Dean croaks.

 

A sudden flap of wings and Cas is standing next to his bed, healthy and whole again. Dean’s heart sings in his chest and he almost believes that this is a dream, that he’s going to wake up and Cas is going to be dead, because miracles just don’t happen. Not for them.

 

“I’m here, love,” Cas says, taking Dean’s hands and channeling his energy into them. He feels better almost immediately and he lets out a relieved laugh bordering on hysterical.

 

“Oh my God," he chokes. "Cas, you’re okay. I thought I’d lost you.” Dean surges upwards and hugs Cas so tightly it might have hurt were he human. With his angel in his arms, Dean doesn’t think he can let go and he sinks back down, pulling Cas with him until they’re lying side by side.

 

“We’ll leave you two alone,” Sam says, putting a hand on Garth’s shoulder and leading him out of Dean’s room. Dean has his face buried in the hollow of Cas’ throat, breathing him in, assuring himself that this is real. Soon enough, his ragged breathing turns into crying and he sobs against Cas’ skin, trembling hard.

 

“I thought -- you...you died, Cas. I felt it. Th-there was so much pain, I thought I was burning alive,” he stammers, clutching the angel’s clothes tightly.

 

“I almost did die. I thought I was going to, until you did the unthinkable,” Cas murmurs, wings going around the hunter as he combs his fingers through his hair. “You’re not far from the truth. But the pain wasn’t from me. At least not what you’re describing.”

 

“What?” Dean says, wiping his eyes and looking up at Cas. “What do you mean?”

 

“It was my grace, operating through you. The restraints drained my power, but once you arrived it stored itself in you because of our bond. Your emotions when you thought Anthiel killed me is what brought it out. That’s what you felt. It’s why I could only numb the pain from your wounds instead of healing them. Grace is only very rarely wielded by a human and any injuries caused by it can only heal with time,” Cas explains.

 

“So...” Dean says, staring at Cas in disbelief, “I saved you? With your own powers?”

 

Cas smiles and brushes a stray tear away. “Yes, love. You saved me. Quite remarkably I might add. All angels know that grace can only be used by a human with a worthy soul. An unbreakable spirit. You should have seen the look on Anthiel’s face when she realized what was happening.”

 

“Biggest ‘I told you so’ ever, huh?” Dean chuckles, reaching up and running his fingers along Cas’ wing. Cas kisses Dean’s forehead and tugs him closer, turning onto his back, mindful of his wings as he adjusts them into a comfortable position. Dean rests his head on Cas’ chest and he cherishes every breath, every beat of his angel’s heart.

 

“Do you believe me now?”

 

“Hm?”

 

Dean turns his head slightly to look up at Cas. The angel wraps an arm around him and rubs his back, smiling softly at him.

 

“When I say that your soul is beautiful. That you’re not poison. That you’re the best man I’ve ever known. Do you believe me now?” Cas asks. He stares at him for a while before Dean finally allows himself a small smile. He traces aimless patterns on Cas’ chest and shrugs.

 

“Yeah. I think so.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas had his turn in Heaven "marrying" Dean. Now it's the hunter's turn to do the same on Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed the rating cause Dean and Cas finally do the do, but it's nothing graphic, I swear. I can't write smut. Read it? Ha, no problem! Write it? No way Jose. 
> 
> Also, we are now straying into the fluffy-cheesy filled part of the thing so I'm sorry if things are super lame. 
> 
> And I posted this now because by the time I'll be out of class tomorrow, it'll be like 6pm, so I didn't want to make you all wait that long.

Dean’s been with Castiel for almost four months when he starts to think about joining with him in a more human way. The soul bond is nice and Dean wouldn’t change anything about that for the world. But he’s starting to get tired of the way that people eye Cas like he’s a piece of candy whenever they go out for a drink. And the thing is, he wouldn’t blame Cas for going with them. They’ve been bonded for months now and the only thing he’s done with Cas is kiss him. He doesn’t know if it’s nerves or because Cas is a guy or just because he doesn’t feel like it, but it’s only a matter of time until Cas gets tired of him. Putting a ring on him might not stop Cas losing interest in him, but Dean can pretend that it will.

 

He tries not to let those thoughts to the forefront of his mind too often. He’s still not an expert at shielding his thoughts from Cas and he doesn’t want to give away the surprise. After the whole fiasco with Dean’s weird grace-possession thing, Cas has been talking with Hannah in Heaven in order to discourage any more angels going rogue. When he leaves one day, Dean decides to talk with Sam about his idea, figuring that Cas will be too distracted to focus on him.

 

“Sam, can I talk to you for a sec?” he asks.

 

Sam looks up from his book and nods. “Yeah, sure,” he says, pulling out a chair for Dean to sit in. “What’s up?”

 

“So, I’ve been thinking for a while. And maybe it’s silly, but...” Dean trails off, sitting down next to his brother and staring at his hands, unsure of how to word this.

 

“What? Is everything okay?”

 

“Yeah. Everything’s fine. But um...well...I’m trying to figure how to -- how I wanna propose to Cas,” he finally says, face burning. Sam’s silent for a while and Dean avoids looking at him, afraid of what he’ll see.

 

“That’s great, Dean!” Sam finally exclaims. Dean glances at him and can see a huge grin on his face. The younger hunter reaches over and claps him on the shoulder. “That’s really great. Any ideas yet?”

 

“I don’t know.” Dean shrugs. “I mean, nothing fancy or anything. But I want it to be special, you know?”

 

“Yeah, of course. Um, have you bought a ring yet or...?”

 

“No. I should, shouldn’t I?” Dean chuckles nervously and twiddles his thumbs. “Man, this is crazy. What if he doesn’t want to? I mean, what if he thinks it’s silly, you know, the whole human bonding thing?”

 

“He won’t, Dean. He loves you. He’ll say yes, trust me,” Sam assures him. He closes his book and stands, dragging Dean out of his seat. “Let’s go!”

 

“Whoa, wait a sec. Where are we going?” Dean says, stumbling after his brother. Sam turns and gives him the _There’s literally no way you’re this dumb_ look.

 

“To buy a ring, duh!” he says. Dean figures there’s no point in trying to protest and he hides his grin at Sam’s helpful enthusiasm as they drive to the nearest jewelry store. Just like old times, the lady at the shop thinks they’re together. He still thinks their face when he informs them that they’re brothers is the most hilarious thing he’s ever seen.

 

“Oh, I-I’m sorry, I thought-”

 

“It’s fine,” Dean says, smiling. “Now, can you help me?”

 

“Of course!” she exclaims, glad for Dean sparing her the embarrassment. “What are you looking for?”

 

“Um, I’m not sure. Nothing flashy or anything. I want -- uh, wow, this is gonna sound cheesy, but I want it to mean something, you know? He’s really special to me,” he says, blushing and trying to ignore the huge grins the store clerk and Sam are directing his way.

 

“Well, we have a few simple bands that you can get engraved, if you want,” she suggests, pointing towards a display. Dean glances at the prices, glad they’re not too crazy since he wanted to pay for this with his own money. Even if they had been though, he’d be prepared to shell out whatever amount it cost.

 

As he glances at the rings, he realizes that he doesn’t even know what size ring he needs.

 

“Sam, I don’t even know what size ring to get,” he whispers. “Ugh, I suck at this.”

 

“Well, you guys are about the same build. Maybe whatever’s closest to yours,” Sam suggests.

 

When they finally leave, Dean’s got a sinking feeling that he’ll screw something up somewhere down the line, even with Sam telling him that everything will work itself out. He’s still gotta go back later to pick up the ring once they’re done engraving it and he just hopes that Cas will like it. While he waits, he sits in his room, thinking hard about how he’s going to do this.

 

Cas comes home the next day and Dean tries to put a damper on his nerves so the angel won’t think anything is wrong. But as always, Cas is very perceptive when it comes to his soulmate and he corners him after lunch, wondering what’s wrong.

 

“Dean, I can sense it. You’re nervous. Is something on your mind?” Cas asks.

 

“Um,” Dean says brilliantly. “Can you uh, wait here. Just for a second? I gotta get something.” Dean leaves Cas standing in the library and retreats to his room. He opens the drawer in his nightstand and pulls out the small box that holds Cas’ ring. He puts it in his jacket pocket and then sits on the bed, focusing on relaxing and not freaking out.

 

“Calm down,” he mutters to himself. “You can do this.”

 

He can’t keep Cas waiting forever and he eventually goes back out to the library where he’s still sitting at the table. The angel stands when Dean enters the room and comes over to him, watching him curiously.

 

“Is everything okay?” Cas asks.

 

“Yes. Um. Cas...I uh...I have to ask you something,” Dean stammers. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the box, fumbling with it for a second before he can flip it open. His heart is pounding and he just knows that his face is red as a tomato. He takes the ring out of its box and holds it carefully between his fingers. _Deep breath_ , he thinks before he can finally find his voice again.

 

“We’ve been through a lot together. And I know we’re already angel married, but uh, I was wondering if...if you wanted to get married in the human world too?” he asks.

 

Cas’ face is unreadable and even looking at his normally expressive wings tell him nothing of what he’s thinking. He bites his lip and stares at the ring to avoid looking at Cas’ face, beginning to think that this was a stupid idea when Cas’ wings suddenly swing forward to pull him closer.

 

“I would love to be your husband, Dean,” Cas finally says, eyes shining. Dean swallows hard, unable to formulate a response and he takes Cas’ hand, sliding the ring onto his finger. It reflects the light and Cas glances at it, spying the engraving on it

 

“What’s this, love?” he asks, spinning the ring on his finger to read it. He smiles and when he blinks, a tear slips down his cheek. " _I'd rather have you._ "

 

“It’s stupid, I know. It sounded good at the time, but now I think-”

 

“I love it,” Cas blurts. “I will wear it always.”

 

Cas pulls Dean into a bone crushing hug, his wings forming a dark cocoon around them. “I love you,” he murmurs. He takes Dean’s face in his hands and kisses him softly. Dean’s overwhelmed, both by his own emotions and those he feels radiating from Cas. He’s never been so happy in his life and he pours all of that happiness into their kiss. Dean feels a few tears of his own fall and their lips part for a second. Long enough for Dean to whisper tearfully, “I love you too, angel.”

 

Cas swipes his thumb across Dean’s cheek and kisses him again. Something hot runs through him and Dean’s hands move to Cas’ collar, starting to undo his tie. He can sense Cas’ question even without him putting a voice to it and he smiles against Cas’ lips.

 

“I’m sure, Cas. I’m ready,” he whispers. Cas nods and the next kiss is deeper, more sensual. The angel picks him up effortlessly and Dean tries not to think about how hot it is that Cas can do that. He carries the hunter to their room and they fall onto the bed. Dean pushes Cas’ coat off his shoulders and finishes undoing his tie before his fingers start working at the buttons on his dress shirt. They break for air and Dean uses the moment to shed his jacket and then pull his shirts off. Cas presses a kiss to his throat and Dean shivers as his lips brush against a sensitive spot. Cas continues mouthing a trail down his neck, kissing Dean’s anti-possession tattoo before he sits up and shrugs off his shirt.

 

“So beautiful,” Cas murmurs, leaning back down and capturing Dean’s lips with his. “My beautiful mate.”

 

“Yours, Cas. Always,” Dean breathes, burying his hands in the angel’s dark hair. Cas caresses his sides and Dean feels the cold silver of his ring, heart swelling when he realizes that Cas is his just as much as he’s the angel’s.

 

They finish undressing and Cas takes his time cataloguing every inch of Dean’s skin. The hunter tears up when he hears Cas murmuring sentiments into his skin, telling him how beautiful he is, how perfect. Dean’s side of their mental link is flooded with Cas’ love and affection and lust and it’s almost enough to make him dizzy. It’s still hard for him to believe that an angel of the Lord could desire him like this.

 

“Dean, you’re crying. Am I doing something wrong?” Cas asks, his face and chest flushed pink, brow furrowed in concern.

 

“No. No, Cas, you’re doing everything exactly right. I just...I can’t believe we’re here. I can’t believe that you’d want someone like me. I mean, are you really sure you want this?” he asks. Are you sure you want me? It’s the question he doesn’t ask, but the angel hears it all the same.

 

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked you to be my soulmate, love. I want you,” Cas says, kissing him again. “I need you.”

 

Dean can’t help the little hitch in his breath, hot tears making their way down his cheeks. It’s embarrassing and he’s never felt more ashamed than he does now. He must make quite a sight. Dean prides himself on the fact that he’s confident in the bedroom, but here he is now, on the verge of crying his eyes out.

 

“I’m sorry, Cas. I know this isn’t how you wanted this to go. It’s not how I wanted it to go either,” he sighs, sitting up. Cas’ wings brush his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him and he touches their foreheads together.

 

“I have to ask, love. Are you sure you’re ready? We don’t have to do this,” Cas says.

 

“Yes. God, yes, I’m so ready for this, but I just...this is kinda overwhelming,” Dean says, threading their fingers together. Cas smiles and squeezes his hands.

 

“It’s alright, Dean. It’s okay. I’ll take care of you. You just have to let me,” he murmurs. Dean nods and they lie back down. Cas kneels between his legs and places a gentle hand on his hip. “Relax, love,” he whispers. Dean takes a deep breath and pushes it out slowly. Cas smiles at him and reaches for something from the table next to the bed. The hunter focuses on breathing as Cas prepares him, so attentive that Dean’s trembling by the time the angel looks down at him and asks if he’s ready.

 

Dean nods and Cas leans down to kiss him, distracting him from the slight pain. When the angel finally starts moving, Dean lets out a breathy cry and wraps his legs around Cas’ waist. He clutches at Cas’ back, thankful for the angel’s high pain tolerance as he digs his nails into his skin. Cas rocks into him again and Dean’s nerve endings sing in pleasure, his toes curling.

 

“Cas,” he gasps, the sound swallowed by Cas’ mouth. The angel groans out Dean’s name and the room is filled with choked off moans, both of them panting and gasping out the other’s name. Dean sees stars every time Cas moves and he squeezes his eyes shut and holds onto the angel tightly. He’s not going to last much longer and already he can feel heat coiling low in his belly. Normally, he’d be embarrassed at how short this is going to be, but Cas reassures him with a kiss.

 

“I’m close, babe,” he manages, blushing at the pet name that slips from his lips. Cas doesn’t mind though, only smiles into their kiss and laces their fingers together, Dean’s hands held above his head.

 

“Let go, Dean. I’ve got you,” Cas whispers. Dean tosses his head back and gasps, arching his back as pleasure slow burns its way from head to toe. He barely registers Cas groaning his name and shuddering through his own release before he collapses forward onto the hunter. Cas lets go of his hands and Dean wraps his arms around the angel, mindful of the wings that are still trembling from Cas’ high.

 

Dean lets out a content sigh and Cas places butterfly kisses along his neck before he rolls off of him. The hunter means to get up and find something to clean them up with, but Cas just waves a hand and the mess is gone. Perks of an angelic lover, he thinks. Dean smirks and lies back down, tugging Cas closer to him, interlocking their fingers and staring at the silver ring there.

 

“Was...was that okay?” Cas finally asks once they’ve had a few moments to get their breath back. Dean chuckles and squeezes Cas’ hand.

 

“Babe, that was way more than okay. I think that’s the best sex I’ve had in my life,” he says.

 

Cas mouth lifts upward into a smile and he stares at Dean for a while before the hunter finally feels the need to ask, “What? I got something on my face?”

 

“We didn’t just have sex, you know,” Cas says, eyes shining brightly. “We made love.”

 

Dean blushes and slaps his free hand over his face, but he can’t argue that. Eventually, he nods, still all too aware of how red he is. The post-coital bliss is making him rather agreeable at the moment and he smiles, uncovering his face and scooting closer to Cas. He kisses him softly and then rests his head on the angel’s chest, murmuring his next words into the now quiet room.

 

“Yeah. I guess we did.”

* * *

 

“So, how’d it go?” Sam asks the next day. Cas had stayed in bed with Dean until he’d woken up and they’d lied in bed simply kissing for a while before the angel said that he had to go, but he’d be back in a couple of hours.  “He say yes?”

 

“Yeah,” Dean says.

 

“And?”

 

“And what, Sam?”

 

“Well, you guys kinda disappeared after lunch. Did you go out or something?” Sam asks.

 

“No. We...we uh...consummated our relationship,” Dean says, staring intently at the pages of his book. Sam’s gaze is like a physical thing and he’s starting to get kinda creeped out when finally the younger hunter pats him on the back in a congratulatory manner.

 

“Good for you. I’m happy for you guys, you know?” he says. He doesn’t sound as mentally scarred as Dean hoped he would. But he smiles anyway and turns in his seat to look at Sam. His brother’s definitely happy for them. That’s for sure. Dean never realized until now just how much Sam’s support meant to him, but he certainly appreciates it.

 

“Thanks, Sam. Means a lot,” he replies, doing the unexpected and yanking his brother into a hug. Sam lets out a surprised laugh and pats Dean on the back once before they separate.

 

“No problem. And you know, I’d be more than honored if I got to be your best man,” he says.

 

“What?”

 

“For the wedding? I mean, you did propose to Cas and all that,” Sam answers.

 

Oh yeah. Dean had almost forgotten about that, too caught up in the heat of the moment, so to speak. The thought of a wedding, an actual, official wedding with friends and family and flowers makes him a little nervous, but at the same time, he’s looking forward to it. He can’t wait until the both of them are standing at the altar, where they’ll say their vows and Dean gets to kiss his angel in front of everyone.

 

“Well of course you’re going to be my best man. What kind of idiot question is that, Sam?” Dean says. Sam’s megawatt grin is blinding and Dean swears the kid is going to crush him with those giant Sasquatch arms of his.

 

“Please don’t kill me before the wedding. I think that’s bad luck,” he wheezes, unable to help chuckling a little at Sam’s sheepish apology as he pulls himself away.

 

“Should we send out invitations? Where’s it going to be? Do we need a wedding planner or something? Cause I’ve got like, no clue about these things. I mean, there was that time with Becky, ugh, but I definitely don’t count that and-” Sam ramble on until Dean puts an end to the word vomit pouring from his mouth..

 

“Sammy, enough with the twenty questions. We’ll figure it out,” he says, though he’s asking the same questions in his head. He’s still not even sure if he wants to make this a big deal or not. Part of him does, wants to announce it to the world that he and Cas are finally together. But the other part of him that’s still kind of in shock about this whole thing just wants to keep it on the down low, at least for the time being.

 

“Castiel Winchester,” Sam mutters to himself, drawing Dean’s attention.

 

“What?”

 

“It’s got kind of nice a ring to it, doesn’t it? Least Cas’ll finally have a surname,” he says. Dean stares at him for a moment before he smiles.

 

“Yeah, it does sound nice.”

 

“What sounds nice?”

 

Dean looks up to see Cas has returned and he smiles when the angel walks over to plant a kiss on his forehead.

 

“We were just talking about how you’ll finally have a last name after we get married,” Dean says. “Cas Winchester. Sound good?”

 

“It sounds marvelous,” Cas says, smiling wide.

 

“How was Heaven?” Sam asks, not even batting an eye as Cas takes a seat in Dean’s lap. Dean gets a face full of feathers, but he’s not complaining, even laughing a little as Cas tries to move his wings away from Dean’s face with a shy apology in his eyes.  

 

“Oh, the usual,” Cas says. He turns around so he’s facing Dean, which is a lot better because while Cas’ wings look gorgeous, he doesn’t want them in his mouth thank you very much.

 

“And how was your day, love?” he asks. There’s an odd tone to his voice that makes Dean wonder what the angel is up to. Nothing bad, he knows, but something’s a little off about him.

 

“It was great, babe. Up until the point where you had to leave,” he says, carding his fingers through Cas’ hair.

 

“Sorry, I had important business to attend to,” Cas replies.

 

“In Heaven?” Dean asks, raising an eyebrow, able to sense that Cas isn’t quite telling him the whole truth.

 

“Well...truthfully, I was shopping for most of the time I was gone. I did check in with Hannah briefly, but my time was mainly occupied elsewhere,” Cas admits, gazing up at Dean nervously. He reaches into his pocket and pulls something out and Dean’s heart starts pounding. He knows exactly what it is and he tries hard not to smile too wide as Cas shows him a small box. “I thought it was only right that I get you a ring too,” he says, flipping it open and revealing a silver band similar to his own. The inscription on it is an intricate line of sigils that look Enochian and Dean wonders what it says.

 

“There’s not really a direct translation, but the closest would be  _Your angel is watching over you_ , I believe. I also infused it with a part of my grace. It’ll protect you and as long as you wear it, you needn’t fear any monster killing you,” Cas says. “I hope that’s okay.”

 

It takes a long couple of seconds before Dean can find his voice, but when he does, he bursts out, “Are you kidding me? It’s perfect!” The hunter lets Cas slide the ring onto his finger and it feels warm. Cas’ grace, he supposes and he smiles at it before he pulls his angel into a tight hug. He sees Sam watching them with a warm smile and he kisses the side of Cas’ head before he lets go.

 

“So...” Sam says when they separate. “When’s the wedding?”

 

“That,” Dean says, pointing at him. “is a good question.”

 

They spend the next few minutes bickering about a time and place, but it’s all good natured fun. Dean hasn’t felt this good about anything in ages and as Sam cracks a joke, making Cas laugh loudly in his arms, he realizes that there’s nowhere he’d rather be but here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of related to the fic, but I could never really decide how I wanted Cas and Dean's first time to go. I mean, some of the racier fics I've read are pretty nice. But on the other hand, Dean needs love and cuddles and he would totally be a mess that first time because Cas just loves him so much and no one's ever taken the time to really take care of him like we all know Cas would. 
> 
> Also as an unrelated-ish side note, I type these up in Google Docs before I put them in a draft on here or whatever and I always forget that AO3's format is different so when I look at it in Google, it always looks way longer than it ends up being. It's kinda weird. 
> 
> PPS: Should I shut up in these note things? I feel like I talk too much about stuff you guys don't care about XD


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments! You guys are the best! 
> 
> Also, my brain is fried from studying for midterm exams, so I almost posted the wrong chapter, hehe. Probably just gonna post the last two tomorrow after I get done with my super early class! 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you like this and all it's fluffy-cheesiness. Please note that the last wedding I went to was ten years ago and I don't really watch a lot of shows/movies with weddings in them, so that's why I left the actual process of the wedding vague (like the order things go in and stuff like that).

“Are you ready, Dean?”

 

“As I’ll ever be.”

 

Dean casts one last nervous look at himself in the mirror. There’s not a hair out of place, but he can’t help feeling like he looks silly. Sam assures him that he looks great and Dean takes a deep breath before following his brother outside. They’d decided not to do this in a church, for obvious reasons, and instead they’re standing outside. It’s pretty warm, but not uncomfortably so and Dean thinks that he couldn’t have picked a better day for a wedding.

 

As Sam leads him down the aisle, Dean can’t help looking at all his friends who showed up. There’s Garth and his werewolf pack, Mrs. Tran and Kevin -- which Dean still thinks might be a problem later on -- and Charlie with her new girlfriend Dorothy. Jody Mills is there with Alex and the other cop lady, Donna, is sitting with them, all beaming smiles and heart eyes.

 

“Oh, I just love a good wedding, you know,” she’s saying as Dean walks past them. “It’s so romantic.”

 

Dean can’t help but smile. He’d normally be opposed to any such notion that he’s romantic about anything, but with Cas, he’s willing to make an exception. Once he and Sam are in their spots at the altar, music starts playing and Dean is nervous all over again. Part of it is to do with the fact that he’s actually going through with this, the other has to do with all the eyes on him, particularly from Cas’ angel friends who showed up to show their support.

 

“Quit fidgeting,” Sam whisper shouts at him, drawing the attention of the few people sitting closer to the front.

 

“I’m nervous, okay?” Dean snaps back.

 

“Don’t be. You’ll be fine,” Sam assures him.

 

Everyone turns and Dean can’t help but look as Cas appears at the end of the aisle. He’s breathtaking and Dean is very much in danger of possibly fainting. Not only does his tuxedo look splendid on him, but his wings have been decorated with a cloth of some sort that have strange gemstones sewn into them. Dean suspects it’s an angel thing and he’s well aware that his mouth is probably hanging open.

 

“Holy shit,” Dean whispers, getting a glare from Sam.

 

“Dean!” he chastises.

 

“Sam, he looks incredible. I would say look at his wings, but you can’t see them,” Dean comments.

 

“Wait, what? You can see his wings?” Sam asks, probably about to launch into a nerdy tirade right then and there.

 

Someone, Dean thinks it’s Charlie, clears their throat and they both shut up. Dean watches as Cas approaches him and his heart pounds in his chest. He barely hears the man talking about holy matrimony and all that stuff, too focused on not freaking out or embarrassing himself by doing something stupid like jumping into Cas’ arms. Cas’ smile is dazzling and Dean can’t help but smile back just as wide.

 

When it comes time to say their vows, Cas goes first, reciting his from memory.

 

“We’ve been through much together, you and I. When we first met, I never thought we’d be here. Back then, I was just doing what I was told. But you changed me. You changed the way I thought about this world, this life. And I can never thank you enough for that. The only thing I can do is keep you safe and show you that even after all we’ve been through, you deserve to be saved.”

 

Dean lets out a shaky breath and wipes at his eyes. He’d told himself he’d be totally cool, that he _wasn’t_ going to cry, but that plan’s gone right out the window. He swallows hard and he knows that everyone’s waiting for him to say his part. The thing is, he didn’t exactly write anything down. He thought he’d just wing it and be fine. But now he can’t think of anything to say that doesn’t sound epically cheesy or girly.

 

“Sir-”

 

“Just gimme a second,” Dean says. Cas reaches out and takes his hand, squeezes it gently. Dean smiles at him thankfully and he takes a deep breath.

 

“Before...before I met you, I was never big on faith. I didn’t believe in God or angels. Bad things happened to good people. That’s just the way it is. I was so convinced that I was right. And then you pulled me out of Hell and you showed me that there is something worth believing in. You...you made a praying man outta me, Cas.” Dean smiles and Cas’ wings are trembling, like he desperately wants to wrap them around the hunter but can’t in case he dislodges the veil-like fabric covering them.

 

“Even if the world was ending,” Dean continues. “I’d have faith that you’d save me again.”

 

Cas smiles at him and when Dean’s told he can kiss the groom, he doesn’t hesitate to lean in and press a soft kiss to Cas’ lips. There’s an applause from the audience and Dean couldn’t care less that all those eyes are on him. He wraps his arms around Cas and pulls him closer, tilting his angel’s head back so he can deepen the kiss. Charlie wolf whistles and only then do they break apart, both with pink faces.

 

“I love you,” Dean whispers, leaning his forehead against Cas’.

 

“I love you too,” Cas says, hands carding through Dean’s hair. His wings come forward and Cas lifts the cloth from them, wrapping it around Dean’s shoulders. “If you had wings of your own,” Cas says, “we would exchange veils, but this will do for now.”

 

“Can the others see it or is it just-”

 

“Whoa, where’d that come from?” Sam asks, answering Dean’s question unknowingly. Dean smiles and touches the cloth. It hums with an otherworldly energy beneath his fingertips and he turns to face his brother.

 

“Just a little gift from Cas,” he says, reaching down and taking Cas’ hand in his. The rest of the wedding goes off without a hitch, although Dean does say that he wishes they had pie instead of cake. The hunter also has no idea how to dance and maybe looks completely ridiculous when everyone pairs up and slow dances.

 

“Sorry,” Dean mutters as he steps and stumbles again, just barely avoiding trampling on Cas’ feet. “I can’t dance.”

 

“I’ve got a better idea,” Cas says, helping to steady him. His wings spread outwards and Dean glances at them curiously. “Do you trust me?” the angel asks.

 

“Absolutely,” Dean says.

 

“Hold on tightly,” Cas tells him. Dean grips Cas’ shoulders and his new husband places both hands on the hunter’s hips. Cas flaps his wings and then they’re ascending into the sky, high above the little celebration going on below.

 

“Cas!” Dean gasps, pushing himself closer to Cas and digging his fingers into his angel’s suit.

 

“It’s okay, love. I won’t let you fall, I promise,” Cas says. Dean makes the mistake of looking down and he whimpers, squeezing Cas hard. “Look at me, Dean. Just focus on me.”

 

Dean forces himself to look at Cas’ eyes and slowly, he relaxes. Cas’ wings beat the air and they fly through the air. The breeze makes Cas’ hair even messier than usual and Dean lets out a laugh at the sight. He brushes a strand of it back from Cas’ face without thinking and that’s when he realizes that he’s barely hanging onto him. It’s just Cas holding him up and for some reason, that should terrify him, putting his life into someone else’s hands, quite literally. But Dean trusts Cas explicitly and he finds it easier than it should be to slip his hands into Cas’ and just enjoy their little dance in the sky. He’s a little breathless when they finally touch down, all sorts of amazed. Dean’s never liked flying, but with Cas, he thinks he can learn to love it.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what's not fun? Midterm exams at eight in the morning! 
> 
> Anyways! Technically this is the last chapter. The one after this is sort of a bonus one from Cas' POV when he gets 'killed' by the angels. Anyways, I was originally going to end it with their wedding, but then I was like "You know what? It's canon that Dean's pretty good with kids in the show. Let's give him some of his own!" 
> 
> Also, I love all of you for reading, commenting, leaving kudos, etc! You have no idea how much I smile when I read your comments! You all give me the motivation to write more! .....If only I had any ideas currently XD

_Five Years Later_

 

“Daddy, Bobby keeps pulling my hair!”

 

Dean leans down to scoop up his daughter into his arms. It’s hard to believe she’s already four years old. It seems like just yesterday that Cas had asked if they could adopt children. Dean had been reluctant at first. He didn’t want any kids of his to grow up hunters, but he also knew that he couldn’t leave them in the dark, not with all the things out there that could hurt them. But of course, with those big blue puppy dog eyes and the promise that Cas would keep them safe, Dean couldn’t disappoint him.

 

“Mary, he’s just a baby, he doesn’t know better,” Dean says. Mary pouts and Dean swears that she’s learned the look from her Uncle Sammy. He makes a silly face at her and she giggles, the sound like music to his ears. Her eyes brighten when Cas appears behind them, little arms reaching out for him, crying out “Papa!” with glee.

 

“Hello, little one,” Cas says, smiling at her. He comes up behind Dean and wraps his arms around him, staring down at their child. “And how are you, love?” he asks, kissing the side of Dean’s head.

 

“I’m happy, babe. I’m really happy,” Dean says, leaning back into his angel. He looks down at Mary and smiles. “One more year and she’ll be in kindergarten. Isn’t that right, Mary?”

 

“Uh huh,” she says, nodding enthusiastically. He sets her down and she toddles off to the living room. Dean and Cas, much as they loved the bunker, moved out after they brought Bobby home. Their own house is still as safe as their previous home thanks to Cas, but it doesn’t have a dungeon or a shooting range or a storeroom full of dangerous, old artifacts. It’s just a normal old house and Cas even has a garden outside that he tends to during his free time.

 

Sam visits them every weekend if he’s not hunting, which is not that often these days. Other hunters have taken over the responsibility and Sam’s even met a girl that he likes. Dean loves to pester him about it like a proper big brother and it’s kind of hilarious to see his brother blush when he talks about his crush. It’s like payback for all the times Sam embarrassed him when he and Cas got together.

 

That night, with Sam staying up in the guest room, Dean puts Mary to sleep. Sometimes she asks him to tell her bedtime stories. Rather than read out of children’s books, he tells her their story. He tells her stories about him and Cas, about him and Sam and assures her that they’re all real, but that she should keep them secret. Tonight though, she asks him to sing and Dean smiles, tucking her in. He can’t sing well, but she doesn’t seem to care.

 

After she’s sound asleep, Dean kisses her forehead and goes to his room. He makes sure that he leaves Mary’s door open in case she wakes up and wants to come sleep in their bed like she does sometimes. Cas is already there, reading a book while he waits for Dean. The former hunter crawls in next to his husband and lays his head on Cas’ shoulder. Cas hums and wraps a wing around him, letting Dean caress his feathers.

 

“What’re you reading?” he asks, trying to make sense of the Enochian letters printed on the pages. Cas has been teaching him and he recognizes a few of the letters and words, but not enough to really understand what the book is about.

 

“I guess you’d call it my old diary,” Cas says. Dean looks at him strangely and then lets out a soft laugh.

 

“A diary?” he says.

 

“Yes. It’s a log of all the things that happened to me since my creation. Well, at least before I went to rescue you from Hell,” Cas explains, wrapping an arm around Dean. His hand slips under Dean’s t-shirt and strokes the skin there. Dean hums contently and closes his eyes.

 

“Wanna tell me a bedtime story then, babe?” he asks, smirking. Cas kisses the top of his head and Dean can feel his angel smile into his hair.

 

“Of course, love.” Cas closes the book and Dean opens his eyes, looking at him curiously. “But not that one. That was the old me. Before I met you. There’s not much to tell. I was given an order and I followed it to the letter. How about this?” Cas moves so they’re both lying down now. “I’ll tell you what happened when I raised you from Perdition.”

 

Dean’s memories of the pit are locked away in his head, almost fuzzy now with how long it’s been. Nightmares are few and far between these days, especially since he bonded with Cas all those years ago. Still, he never did know how exactly Cas saved him. He just knew that it happened.

 

“Sure,” Dean says with a shrug.

 

“Well, once upon a time -”

 

“Don’t be lame, Cas.” Dean laughs and Cas smiles, digging his fingers into the soft flesh at Dean’s side, making him squeak. “Don’t tickle me either!” he says, shoving Cas’ hand away. The angel laughs and leaves his husband alone, instead turning onto his side so he can face him.

 

“At first, it was just a mission. God commanded me to rescue the Righteous Man’s soul and allowed me a small army to lay siege to Hell. My garrison tore the place apart to find you and I lost count of how many demons I smote. It was when I was interrogating one of Alastair’s minions that I sensed it. I sensed your soul, all of its pain. I followed it and that’s when I saw you.”

 

Dean squirms as he remembers all the things he did down there and that old insecurity that Cas has worked so hard to eliminate still whispers that he didn’t deserve to be saved. Not after all the souls he tortured just to escape his own suffering.

 

“Stop that,” Cas says, leaning forward and kissing Dean’s forehead. “I thought we talked about this. You’re worth it. All of it. Everything I did, I did for you. And I’d do it all again.” He rests his hand on Dean’s arm, where his handprint used to be. “What you did down there was not who you are. Anyone would have done it. You can’t blame yourself for that anymore.”

 

Dean looks away from him and sighs. “Just...keep going. What happened next?”

 

Cas smiles sadly at him and squeezes his arm. “Even in Hell, you were still so bright. There was darkness, surrounding your soul like a cloak. And you were scared. You didn’t know who I was or what I was. But as soon as I touched you, that darkness disappeared and you clung to me so hard that it left a mark on my grace just as I left one on your soul. I held you close to me, fought through the demons that tried to steal you away. And we flew. We flew through the nine circles and I brought you back to your body. And the rest, as they say, is history.”

 

Dean blinks and wipes at his eyes. “Um,” he starts. “I never did thank you, did I? I just stabbed you when we met. Sorry about that.”

 

“It’s fine, love. You don’t need to thank me.”

 

“No, but I want to. So...thank you. Thank you for saving me, Cas,” Dean murmurs. He takes Cas’ face in his hands and kisses him. Cas smiles against his lips and rolls onto his back, bringing Dean with him. Cas closes the door to their room with his powers, turning the lock and smirks mischieviously at Dean.

 

“Naughty angel,” Dean scolds, “what if the kids need something?”

 

“They’re both sound asleep. Besides, I’m sure Sam wouldn’t mind looking after his niece and nephew in the event they wake up,” Cas says, yanking Dean’s shirt off. Dean laughs softly and shakes his head, always amused with Cas’ eagerness, letting the angel pull him back down.

**~~~~~**

 

Dean rolls off of Cas a while later, breathing heavily. He stares up at the ceiling, still a little dazed. Then again, he’s always like that after they make love.

 

“Wow,” he breathes. Cas chuckles and pulls him close, yanking the blankets over them.

 

“You always say that,” Cas says. Dean rests his head on the angel’s chest and listens to the still pounding heart, glad to know that he’s got the same effect on Cas. Dean hums as Cas cards his fingers through his hair and already, he’s on the verge of sleep. Cas senses this and with a thought, flicks the lamp off.

 

“Sweet dreams, love,” he whispers, curling a wing around Dean and watching as he falls asleep. Cas smiles and closes his eyes. He doesn’t sleep, but he can insert himself into Dean’s dreams and keep him safe. In the former hunter’s mind, they’re at the park with their children, having a picnic. Dean smiles at Cas and laces their fingers together as he watches Mary play. Bobby is cradled in Dean’s lap and he babbles, tiny fingers wrapping around one of Dean’s. Dean grins down at his son and then looks over at Cas, the angel’s dark wings spread wide in the sunlight.

 

“I love you,” Dean says, leaning against his husband. His ring catches the light and he looks down at their joined hands, still wondering how they’ve come so far, how he got so lucky to have this. Cas rests his head against Dean’s and squeezes his lover’s hand.

 

“I love you too.”

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

Even as Anthiel plunges her knife into his chest, Cas can still feel the unmistakable energy of his grace buzzing in the room. The agony of being stabbed only lasts a moment before a wave of energy hits him and heals all his injuries. Anthiel looks bewildered and she turns around to see Dean crouched on the ground, his arms glowing.

 

“But that’s impossible,” she says. “He’s not -- he can’t be!”

 

“The proof is right in front of you. Do you believe me now?” he asks. He watches as the blond angel restraining the other three backs away, pulling out his angel blade to defend himself. Sam and Garth can move again, but they’re still frozen to the spot, watching as Dean stands up, eyes shining with blue light. He’s still unconscious though, his body controlled by Cas’ grace. He steps towards the blond angel and with the wave of a hand, flings him across the room. He turns to face Anthiel and she backs away.

 

“Stay away!” she cries. He doesn’t hear her, doesn’t respond in any way other than to hold out his hand, energy gathering in his palm.

 

“Sam, Garth, close your eyes!” Cas shouts. The other two duck their heads just as the energy bursts forth from Dean. Anthiel screams and she lights up as though she’d been stabbed. Cas turns his head away and she bursts into a shower of light, the only thing left behind the weapon she’d been holding in her hand.

 

He does the same to the other angel and then he approaches Cas and waves a hand over him. The restraints click open and the light flows from Dean back into Cas. The hunter’s eyes close and he sways on his feet. Cas catches Dean before he can fall and holds him carefully in his arms.

 

“Oh, you are an extraordinary human, aren’t you, love?” Cas is nothing short of awed as he inspects the burns on Dean’s arms and hands. Luckily, those are the only parts of him that have been damaged. He stands up, Dean still unconscious in his arms as he walks over to Sam and Garth.

 

“What the heck was that?” Sam asks, staring at his brother curiously.

 

“What was with the light show?” Garth adds, watching Dean like he might do it again.

 

“It was my grace,” Cas answers. “It’s very rare for a human to be able to use it. His response to my stabbing must have triggered it.”

 

“Well, is he going to be okay?”

 

“He will be. I can’t heal these burns, but he’ll get better with time. We should take him home,” Cas says. Sam and Garth follow him out to the Impala. Once they’re all there, he uses his powers to return them home. Cas takes Dean to his room and bandages him up, kissing his forehead before he leaves to talk with the other two.

 

“Dean won’t remember any of this. He was unconscious when my grace took control of him,” Cas explains. “He’ll probably be confused, but you need to tell him that I’m okay.”

 

“You sound like you’re not sticking around,” Sam says.

 

“I have to return to Heaven to tell them what happened,” Cas says. “They need to know why those two angels didn’t return and I need to make sure this won’t happen again. I’ll return as soon as he wakes.”

 

Sam and Garth nod and Cas leaves them to take care of Dean while he flies back to Heaven. He can sense Dean’s consciousness and knows that he won’t wake for a little while. It gives him more than enough time to inform the others of what transpired. He has to make certain that no other angel gets the idea that they can try the same thing Anthiel did.

 

“Castiel? What are you doing here?” Hannah asks upon his arrival. She looks around, confused when she doesn’t see Dean. “Where’s your mate?”

 

“Resting. He’s been through a lot recently,” Cas says, unable to keep the trace of anger from his voice.

 

“What happened?” she asks.

 

“A few of our brothers and sisters decided that it was appropriate to kill us,” he says.

 

“What?!”

 

“They took me and restrained my powers. Anthiel was there. She was the one who tortured me. Dean came there to rescue me and then...”

 

“Then what, Castiel?”

 

“She stabbed me. Dean lost consciousness. And then the unthinkable happened. He was able to use my powers and he killed the angels holding me,” he says. Hannah’s eyes widen and Cas would feel smug if not for the fact that she’s starting to like Dean.

 

“That’s impossible. That’s only happened a few times. The last time was almost a hundred years ago,” she says.

 

“I’ve told you. Dean isn’t just an average human. His soul is the strongest I’ve ever seen,” he says. He looks around where there are other angels milling about and wonders how many of them are on his side and how many want to see him dead. Despite his part in reopening the gates, some of them still resent him for the trouble he’s caused Heaven over the past few years.

 

“I need your help to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Can I count on you, Hannah?”

 

“Of course, Castiel. I will do everything in my power to keep the rest of them in line,” she promises. He smiles and places a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Thank you,” he says. He pauses, Dean’s part of their bond starting to stir and he knows that he’ll be waking soon. “Dean’s waking up. I should be there.”

 

Hannah nods and does something he’s not expecting. She hugs him. She’s becoming more human, despite her time away from the Earth and he’s glad that she’s changing for the better. He hugs her back and she lets go after a moment. “Go to him,” she says. “I’ll take care of things here.”

 

He nods and returns to Earth just as Dean is starting to wake up. He can feel the hunter’s confusion at first and then a bone-deep sorrow when Dean thinks that Castiel is dead. He means to go to him immediately, but then the sorrow is replaced by a sliver of hope and he knows that the other two must be telling him what happened.

 

He appears in the room just as Dean is looking up at the other two, asking where he is.

 

“I’m here, love,” he says, smiling at the immense relief Dean feels upon seeing him. He takes Dean’s wounded hands in his own, gently. He focuses on numbing the pain and Dean stares up at him almost like he can’t believe what he’s seeing before he lets out an almost hysterical laugh and pulls the angel down to him. Cas is careful not to hurt him, lying down with him and holding him tightly.

 

After explaining everything to him, Dean falls asleep, exhausted despite just waking up. Cas doesn’t even need to use his powers to keep Dean’s nightmares away, instead placing feather light kisses wherever he can reach. Dean mumbles in his sleep and Cas smiles, certain that he’ll always be amazed at how lucky he got to have such a beautiful soulmate.


End file.
